Cylinder press



Oct. 12, 1937. H. J. HANAUE R CYLINDER PRES S 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 2, 1937 INVENTOR.

vmaud ATTORNEY.

Oct. 12 1937. H. J. HANAUER I 2,095,498

CYLINDER PRESS Filed April 2, 1937 v 2 sheets-sneet z Patented Oct. 12, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,095,498 I CYLINDER. PaEss Henry J. Hanauer, Milwaukee, Wis.

Application April 2, 1937, Serial No. 134,555

5 Claims. (01. 101-409) This invention relates to improvements in cylinder presses, and more particularly to a cylinder die-cutting or printing press of the type which handles cardboard sheets for cut-outs, display cards, and the like.

There are several types of cylinder die-cutting or printing presses in general usage, but the same are open to certain objections. In the form of press under consideration sheets of material are individually, successively fed to the cylinder to be operated on thereby when the sheet is car ried by the cylinder to the lowest point of travel. An operator is, required to feed the sheets to the cylinder from a large stack adjacent the feed side of the cylinder and another operator is required to remove the cut or printed sheet from the cylinder at a discharge point and to arrange said operated on sheets in stacks.

In the single revolution cylinder press in quite general usage the feed and discharge of sheets relative to the cylinder is on the same side of the machine. Obviously, this arrangement has disadvantages andinterferes with efficient and economical production because the operators for the fed and discharged sheets are at the same station and may bother each other, and there is also apt to be interference and confusion respecting the stacks of sheets wherein the sheets to be fed must be maintained free of the finished sheets.

Another type of cylinder press is that in which the cylinder moves through substantially one and one-half revolutions between the period of sheet engagement and sheet discharge. This machine has the advantage of permitting discharge of a sheet on the side opposite the feed side, but it is very complicated, must be run at very high speeds for economical production, and requires extra engagement or contact with the sheet which in the case of heavy board is apt to be injurious thereto.

With the foregoing in mind it is, therefore, the primary object of the present invention to provide a cylinder die-cutting or printing press which is only turned one revolution for each sheet operated on thereby, but which is arranged so as to discharge sheets on the opposite side of the cylinder from which the fsheets are fed thereto giving so-called straight-line production and making for efficient, economical and expeditious production.

In the prior types of cylinder presses heretofore I proper engagement of, a sheet it must be fed at a tangent to the cylinder and in order that the sheet feed will not be at too greatan inclination so as to effect tangential disposition of the sheets,

it has been most practical, heretofore, to feed the sheets to the cylinder near or at the top thereof, although it is recognized that a lower point of feeding would be more advantageous.

Itis therefore, another object of the present invention to provide a cylinder press having grippers of a characterwhich do not require the sheets to be fed to the cylinder at a tangent thereto, whereby the sheet feed may be near the lower portion of the cylinder without requiring a feed platform disposed at an undue or inconvenient angle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cylinder press of the character described having projectile and retractile grippers formed with sheet engaging dogs and resilient fingers, a sheet being fed between bosses on the dogs and the fingers, and said bosses having surfaces which provide a tangential engagement for the incoming sheets, notwithstanding the fact that the sheets are not disposed tangentially to the cylinder.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cylinder press of the class described in which the sheet is actually engaged by the cylinder for substantially less than half of the revolution of the cylinder, minimizing the danger of the sheet being cracked or otherwise damaged by the cylinder and increasing the productivity of the machine without having it operate at an excessive speed.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cylinder press of the character described wherein the sheet grippers retract into the cylinder adjacent the platen so as not to interfere with operations on the sheet.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cylinder die-cutting or printing press which is of very simple construction, is strong and durable, is eificient in operation, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

'With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of the improved cylinder press, and its parts and combinations as set forth in the claims and all equivalents thereof.

In the accompanying drawings in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts in all of the views:

.Figi 1 is afragmentary end view of the improved cylinder press in one position during its cycle of operation, parts being broken away and in section;

Fig. 2 is a similar view only showing the cylinder in another position during its cycle of movement;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary end view showing the cylinder in still another position; Fig; 4 is a fragmentary, detail sectional view indicated by the line 4 4 of Fig. 2 with certain portions of the mechanism broken away to show details of construction;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, fragmentary, detail sectional view taken on line 55 of Fig. 4 with certain associate-d parts shown in broken lines; and

Fig. 6 is a similar view only showing the release of a sheet from the sheet feed for engagement by the sheet grippers.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, it will appear that the numeral It] indicates an elevated table over which there is transverse- 1y mounted an elongated press cylinder designated generally by the numeral H. Said cylinder has a central hub l2 forming an axis, .and said hub tightly engages an operating shaft l3. The shaft is journaled in bearing brackets I1 outwardly of the ends of the cylinder and is turned by any conventional means (not shown) whereby the cylinder ,l I may be revolved at a desired speed. he outer wall M of the cylinder is of circular contour and is spacedfrom the hub and shaft. The interior of the cylinder is hollow save for certain mechanism therein and radial spokes l5 extending from innerrsurface portions of the wall Hi to the hub l2. The ends of the cylinder are closed by heads or drums I6.

The cylinder I i is adapted to revolve in the direction indicated by the arrows in the drawings and the lowermost portion of the wall I 4 is spaced slightly from a cutter line or platen l8 provided on the table IE3. In the exemplification illustrated the machine performs die-cutting operations on cardboard sheets and for that purpose blocks of cutters or knives iii are mounted in the platen. It is obvious, however, that the platen may hold blocks of type in lieu of the cutters, if the machine is to be used as a printing press.

The outer wall I4 of the cylinder is formed with a relatively wide slot 2i) extending through a portion thereof and longitudinally. Mounted within the cylinder so as to spacedly overhang said slot are a plurality of spaced-apart arms 2| which are secured at their inner ends to adjacent spokes is. For rocking attachment to the outer end of each arm 2! there is provided a cupped member 22. The top of each cupped member is slotted, as at 23, to receive the end portion of its arm 2i, and an elongated shaft 24 extends through and joins the respective cupped members and arms whereby each cupped member is free to rock or oscillate on the shaft, and the shaft is supported by the arms.

Each of the cupped members has a recess 25 to receive one end portion of a coiled spring 26. The other end portion of each spring is mounted in a recess 21 in the side of an eccentrically shaped dog or gripper 23. All of said dogs are bifurcated and are rockingly mounted loosely on another shaft 29 secured within the cylinder and inwardly of the wall slot 20,.and said dogs or grippers yieldingly extend or retract relative to said slot so as to project or retract gripping bosses 3% through said slot. Within the bifurcation of each gripper and loose with respect thereto, but fast on the shaft, so as to rock independently of or with the gripper is the inner end portion of a plate 3i which projects from said shaft toward and through the slot I6 and carries on its outer edge a spring metal element 32 having its free end slightly spaced from and cooperating with the gripper boss 33 in the engagement of the end of a cardboard sheet 33. The sheet engaging face of a boss is parallel or tangent to the sheet 33. Although there is illustrated and described a plurality of alined gripping instrumentalities, it is obvious that a single elongated gripping member may be utilized.

Adjacent one side of the lower portion of the cylinder outer wall N there is an inclined feed guide 34 which is rigidly mounted on a suitable portion of the table l8. Said feed guide terminates adjacent the cylinder and is substantially tangential to the projected gripping faces of the gripper bosses 3G. Secured to the underside of the lower end portion of the feed guide are a plurality of spaced-apart card stop fingers 35. Said fingers project beyond the end of the feed guide and are yieldable. The extremities of said fingers have upstruck angular flanges 36. Also secured to the underside of the feed guide and projecting beyond the lower end of the same are a plurality of card supporting fingers 31 having downwardly curved extremities El. Said fingers 31 are spaced-apart and are spacedly interposed between the stop fingers 35. Normally the upper faces of the fingers 31 are slightly below the planes of the upper edges of the stop fingers 35, so that a card 33 resting on the fingers 31 will have its forward end in abutment with the flanges 36, as in Figs. 3 and 5. However, means are provided for downwardly flexing the stop fingers 35 so as to remove the flanges 36 from engagement with the card-end to permit forward feeding of the card to the cylinder.

From the drawings it will be observed that one end of the cylinder I l carries a curved cam plate 38 which extends only partially about the circumference of the cylinder wall M. A cam roller 39 is adapted to ride on the cam plate and to drop therefrom and onto the wall 14 and to then 2 a ride back onto the cam plate during a revolution of the cylinder. Said cam roller is journalled on the outer end of an arm 40 whose other end is fast on a shaft 4| which is journaled for oscillatory movements in brackets 42 depending from the sheet feed 34. The shaft 4! extends transversely of the sheet feed and fingers 35 and 3'! and is immediately above the fingers 35. Adjacent each finger 35 the shaft has a flattened portion 43 which permits normal disposition of said fingers, but when the shaft is turned so as to contact its rounded portions with said fingers, said fingers 35 will be depressed or flexed downwardly as previously mentioned and as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6.

In the operation of the improved cylinder press the feed operator stands at the front of the cylinder (the right side thereof in the drawings) and the discharge operator stands at the rear of the cylinder (the left side thereof in the drawings), and hence the respective operators do not interfere with one another, and the pile of sheets to be fed to the press are maintained separately and out of the way of the pile of discharged completed sheets. It is also obvious that the cylinder press insures so called straight line production, and a sheet is engaged by the cylinder for only a portion of the revolution of the cylinder, the same being engaged by the cylinder on one side adjacent the bottom thereof, and being discharged by the cylinder when it moves through less than one half of a revolution.

Assuming that the cylinder revolves in the direction indicated by the arrows in the drawings and that the cam plate 38 has passed the sheet feed 34, it will be evident that the apparatus is in condition to have a sheet fed into position. This condition is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 5 wherein the cam roller 39 is riding on the cylinder wall I4 and the fingers 35 are in their normal raised I positions so that the forward edge of the sheet 33 is stopped by the upturned flanges 36 of said fingers 35. Upon subsequent turning of the cylinder ll just as the projecting grippers 28 come into position adjacent the lower end of the sheet guide, the cam roller 39 will ride upon the cam plate 33, whereupon the shaft 4| will be turned so that its rounded portions will ride on the faces of the fingers 35 and depress the same'to the position of Figs. 1 and 6, permitting the sheet 33 to be pushed beyond the sheet guide and into the grippers 28, the end of the sheet being engaged between the resilient plates 32 of the grippers and the bosses 30, as in Fig. 1. Said plates 32 are on the shaft 29 which is cam actuated and have at this point been swung from an inoperative position to the sheet engaging position of Fig. 1. The grippers are of course urged outwardly through the cylinder slot IB-by the springs 26, and outward movement of the grippers is limited by the shoulders 44 thereon which abut against the inner surface of the end portion of the wall I4.

' the face of the cylinder wall M.

further turning of the cylinder the sheet will be pressed between the cylinder wall M and the instrumentalities on the platen l8 and will be dieout or printed upon. After the cylinder turns so as to free the gripper of contact with the platen,

the same will project further outwardly, and at.

the discharge side of the cylinder the shaft 29 is cam actuated so as to remove the plates 32 from gripping engagement with the bosses 38 and the operator is free to remove the cardboard from the.

cylinder after it has passed beyond the platen or dies. After the cylinder has turned through one half of its revolution the cam roller 39drops from the cam plate 38 onto the wall I4 and permits the fingers 35 to spring upwardly to the Figure 3 position so as to stop another cardboard sheet fed thereto for subsequent operations. It will be obvious that the grippers are free to project or retract relative to the cylinder wall slot l6 and to rock on the shaft 29. The same are, however, urged outwardly by the coiled springs 26 and only retract into the cylinder upon engagement with the platen or dies so as not to interfere with the same nor to be an obstacle or obstruction. The members 22 are also free to rock on their shaft 24.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the improved cylinder press provides for straight line production and receives sheets fed thereto on the side opposite from which the sheets are discharged. The sheets are engaged by the cylinder for only a portion of the travel of the cylinder, and therefore the danger of the same being bent or cracked by the cylinder is minimized. The press is simple, makes for fast and vefficient production without being run at excessive speeds, and is well adapted for the purposes set forth.

What is claimed as the invention is:

1. In a cylinder press, a revoluble cylinder having a circular sheet engaging wall with an opening therein, a plurality of arms rigidly mounted within the cylinder, a shaft carried by said arms, rocker elements mounted on said shaft, another shaft within the cylinder, rigid sheet gripping dogs rockingly mounted on said latter shaft so as to move relative to said wall opening, resilient members carried'by the dogs and coacting with portions thereof, and resilient connections between the dogs and the rocker elements.

2. A cylinder press, comprising a revoluble cylinder having an annular sheet engaging wall formed with an opening therein, a gripping device movably mounted within the cylinder and normally projected a substantial amount through said wall opening, projected portions of the gripping device including a boss having its work face at a secant to the cylinder wall when said device is in its fullest projected position and also a coacting spring finger, said boss and finger engaging a sheet fed at a secant to the cylinder, and a platen in close proximity to a peripheral portion of the cylinder wall against which a sheet is pressed after being engaged by the gripping device, engagement of the gripping device with the platen retracting the former to a position wherein the plane of its work face is tangential to the cylinder wall. 7

3, In a cylinder press, a revoluble cylinder having a circular sheet engaging wall with an opening therein, an arm rigidly mounted within the cylinder, a shaft carried by said arm, a rocker element mounted on said shaft, another shaft within the cylinder, a rigid sheet gripping dog rockingly mounted on said latter shaft so as to move relative to said wall opening, a resilient member associated with the dog and coacting with a portion thereof, and a resilient connection between the dog and p the rocker element.

4. In a cylinder press, a revoluble cylinder having a circular sheet engaging wall with an opening therein, a sheet grippingdevice movably mounted within the cylinder and including a boss, the boss being mounted within the cylinder so as to project or retract relative to the wall opening, said boss in projected position contacting a sheet fed non-tangentially to the cylinder, a coacting gripper finger movably mounted relative to the boss to engage a sheet at the time of contact of the sheet with the boss, and retracting means acting upon the boss and the finger to bring the gripped sheet into tangential relation to the circular wall of the cylinder.

5. In a cylinder press, a revoluble cylinder having a circular sheet engaging wall with an opening therein, a sheet gripping device movably mounted within the cylinder and including a plurality of spaced bosses, said bosses being mounted within the cylinder so as to simultaneously project or retract relative to the wall opening, said bosses in projected position contacting a sheet fed nontangentially to a lower portion of the cylinder, coacting gripper fingers movably mounted relative to the bosses to engage a sheet at the time of contact of the sheet with the bosses, and retracting means acting upon the bosses and fingers upon further movement of the cylinder to bring the gripped sheet into tangential relation to the cir-. 

